The Hartsburg-Emden Stags's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight defeat. They were beaten by Illini Bluffs 59-30. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Hartsburg-Emden in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now lost nine in a row.
Hartsburg-Emden's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Evan Cross, who scored 15 points along with seven rebounds and two steals. That was a full 50% of Hartsburg-Emden's points, marking the 15th time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Jace Whitted, who scored seven points along with three steals.
Hartsburg-Emden dropped their record down to 5-19 with that loss, which was their third straight on the road. As for Illini Bluffs, the win (which was their 11th in a row) raised their record to 23-3.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Hartsburg-Emden will take on the Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Lutheran and the Stags are at an even 4-4 over their past eight head-to-heads. As for Illini Bluffs, they will be playing in front of their home fans against the Farmers at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Farmington will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Illinois Rankings (they are ranked 378th, while the Tigers are ranked 129th).
